But In Dreams
by gabriellejoya
Summary: It is said that love risks degenerating into obsession. It certainly was not something Jareth had foreseen when he set forth on his carefully-plotted quest to win her back. J/S Update 8/27: Soon emerging from hiatus!
1. Chapter 1: The Magician

**Chapter One**

_The Magician_

"_In the dreamland of the night,_

_I rule as magician and _

_work wonders to delight."_

_-English translation of "__Vor dem Schloss:Finale Akt 1__"_

_from the musical "Tanz der Vampire"_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Seven years.

Had it really been that long?

One could suppose that for a life that would extend past the existence of time, the years would be nothing, but to a creature with an indefinitely long life who was in _love_, who was _obsessed_ with a mere idea, who spent hours upon hours deep in sorrow and regret over events so long past, seven years was quite a long time.

Jareth sat on his throne as he did so often, surrounded by his beloved goblins and lost in reminiscences of a time when he had actually seen her in person, spoke to her, actually _touched_ her. It did not matter that she had cut a swath of destruction through his Labyrinth when she had been there last, nor that she had charmed half of his subjects into following her, had kicked down his castle, and took back her baby brother. It did not matter that she had defeated Jareth with mere words, leaving his powers broken and frail and his heart quite mystified.

Oh, Jareth was careful to keep his countenance as it was before she had came, trying in vain to keep up all appearances of normalcy. However, when he was alone and out of earshot of any goblins, he would allow himself to display some emotion, and to grieve for the consequences of his stupid mistakes, raging around the castle in a high temper.

Though his powers had been ravaged by hers, Jareth had managed to watch her every so often through his crystals, weak and delicate as they were, watching her grow and mature and watching her forget that her time in the Labyrinth was real and not some memory of a dream she had once had. Slowly through the years, Jareth had mended his Labyrinth and regained the loyalty of his subjects. His power grew slowly too, waxing leisurely year by year, bit by bit.

In all that time, Jareth had been planning, watching, and waiting. His plan was delicately and carefully concocted, every bit thought out, changed, thought out again, and changed yet again. He had pruned it and perfected it, molding his plan into a foolproof plot.

Seven years…

So short a time for his powers to regain their full potency, and yet so long. Now was the time to set things in to motion.

Jareth's heart leapt at the thought of finally setting into motion the plan that he had thought of in earnest in his seven years of near magiclessness.

He was confident. He was eager. He was _ready._

Jareth smiled wickedly and sat back comfortably in his throne, draping his legs insolently over the arms of his chair, exuding an air more akin to a rowdy schoolboy than a king.

He conjured a crystal with ease, rolling it between his fingers before holding it still, poised gracefully on his fingertips. He gazed deeply into the orb, its crystalline depths revealing a familiar visage: a girl, sitting beneath a tree reading a book, face set in intense concentration as she read. Her concentration was broken only when a great hairy dog bounded up to her, licking her face, causing the girl to drop her book and laugh merrily, petting the dog with loving rubs.

Jareth sighed and watched as the girl picked up her book and settled back against the tree once more, her dog laying his great shaggy head in her lap.

Jareth was not quite sure how long he sat there and watched the girl. Time seemed to cease to exist as he sat there, breaking out of his trance only when the girl finally got up and closed her book, leaving the tree, with her dog tagging along at her heels.

He involuntarily recalled some of his last words to her, his last desperate pleas…

_Just fear me, love me…_

Jareth groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Oh Sarah," Jareth murmured, low and contemplative, "I wish you had believed me."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The first year after her excursion, Sarah held firmly on to the idea, no, the _fact_ that the Labyrinth and its inhabitants were real, that she had journeyed to the center of the mythical Labyrinth and defeated its tyrant, winning the freedom of the baby brother she had so carelessly wished away. She called on her faithful friends many times after her journey Underground, talking for hour upon hour through her mirror.

The second year, Sarah found fewer and fewer chances to call upon her beloved comrades as she had entered her sophomore year of high school, though her homework load had not increased drastically from the previous year. Instead, her stepmother Karen had prodded Sarah to indulge in more social excursions, shepherding Sarah out of the house as often as she possibly could.

The third year, Sarah only called on her otherworldly friends twice: the first time on Hoggle's birthday, and the second was when she'd been left alone in the house one warm spring night, as her father and Karen were at a smart party and Toby was at her grandmother's. Looking back, Sarah didn't know what had made her pick that night to call upon her friends. Perhaps it was the memory of Hoggle's soft-spoken words so long ago: _Should you need us, for any reason at all… _and her declaration of: _I don't know why, but every now and again in my life -for no reason at all- I need you. All of you…_

The fourth year after Sarah's excursion into the Labyrinth, she did not call on her friends, not once. She was a senior in high school, and was thusly preoccupied with college applications, scholarship applications, and studying for her college entrance exams. She thought she glimpsed Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus every so often, staring forlornly out of the mirror at her as she worked hard on her homework, striving to be the best in her class.

The fifth year, Sarah enrolled at the community college the next town over, driving the 45 minute commute each morning to attend classes. She did not call on her friends this year either, though she could have used the companionship desperately, for she had half-convinced herself that the Labyrinth and the events and people that she had experienced and met within were nothing more than an elaborately vivid dream, brought on by the angst and fantasy of her teenage years.

The sixth year, Sarah finished school with an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education, placating her father and stepmother. She was now almost completely convinced that anything having to do with the Labyrinth was an elaborate dream she had once had, conceding to the idea (in dark times), that perhaps she was going slightly mad.

After all, how could such things be real? Goblins? Talking rocks? Helping hands that were less than helpful and more than handsy? All these things were the product of the over-active imagination of a teenager who had a flair for the dramatic, a penchant for fantasy stories, and a romantic streak a mile wide.

The seventh year…

The seventh year, Sarah was absolutely, 100% sure that she had had a very strange dream as a child, where she had befriended a motley crew of made-up creatures, trekked through a Labyrinth which surrounded a city built and inhabited by goblins, and met a strange man who had stolen Toby from her, who had ultimately been defeated by Sarah saying some magic words. A memory of a dream…

It was all so absurd.

Sarah was still settled at her parent's house, a fact that nettled Karen greatly. However, thanks to the careful saving of her earnings from her tidy little job as the program director of a local childcare center, Sarah was able to pay rent on a modest apartment, taking care to visit Toby and Merlin on the weekends. The old vanity which had sat in her room at her parent's house now sat in her sparsely-furnished apartment, adorned with a few pictures, mostly of Toby and her family.

Though the apartment didn't look like much, Sarah liked being there. It was cozy and bright and a place all for herself.

Sarah was happy. Not overly so, mind you, she still dreamt grand dreams and planned magnificent plans for the future, but at the moment, Sarah was content with her modest and tidy little life. She may not live in a grand mansion filled with luxuries galore and populated with pleasant people, but she was alive, she had a warm ( if a bit trying) family, and she was young and healthful.

When she was younger, she would have been appalled at her future self for compromising so easily.

She should be in New York, becoming a great actress like her mother, or in Hollywood gracing the silver screen. She should be wealthy, she should be powerful, she should have everything her heart desired and then some. She should be the loveliest lady, sought after by the richest, handsomest, and most powerful men.

Or, she should be a heroine, boldly defeating the evil dragon terrorizing some Tolkien-esque place, tearing down the tyrant king's regime, and winning the love of the dashing Prince Charming.

But of course, the older Sarah knew a painful truth that the younger Sarah was not as of yet cognizant of, alas, that such futures were only present in fairytales.

…and dreams.

Yes, such things existed in dreams as well.

What strange and wonderful dreams Sarah had, as varied and multi-layered as life itself. However, sometimes Sarah had a reoccurring dream of a strange, far-away place that at once felt both familiar and alien to her, as if it was the imprint of a long-lost memory.

It was one of her favorites.

In the dream, Sarah found herself in a landscape prominently dominated by a golden hue; the sky was a golden yellow, the dirt beneath her feet was yellow, and the stones in the tall wall that always stood in front of her were always the same: yellowed with age and worn from the elements.

She always met the same creatures: a wizened, dwarf-like creature with a craggy face, browned lovingly by many hours spent in the garden, a huge shaggy beast with heart of gold and a penchant for speaking to rocks, and a small, dog-like creature, dressed in medieval finery, brandishing a rapier on his English sheepdog-steed.

There were other creatures as well: small, grungy goblins, a strange old wiseman with a bird as a hat, strange demons both fiery in temper and in name, great talking rocks, and a man: the King of the Goblins, who was as darkly cruel and dangerous as he was fascinating.

She always had the same task: to rescue her brother who had been kidnapped by the goblins and taken to the king's castle, which was located at the center of an impossible and confounding Labyrinthine maze. She always got her brother back in the end, but the dream was still her favorite, even if she knew the ending.

Even though Sarah was no longer a child, this reoccurring dream held full sway over her unconscious: thrilling her in the trek through the Labyrinth, terrifying her when she faced-off with the Goblin King, and exhilarating her when she won her brother back in the end.

It was an exceedingly good dream.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Jareth was quite happy, when he regained his ability to view dreams five years after Sarah's quest through the Labyrinth. No, he was more than that; he was ecstatic, over the moon, sing with a hairbrush in front of your mirror while in your underwear kind of happy.

He immediately began to keep tabs on Sarah's dreams. He was a bit appalled when he discerned that Sarah was forgetting that the Labyrinth was real, that she had half-convinced herself that everything was just an elaborate dream. It was absurd, Jareth thought. More than that, it was insulting to such a proud and self-centered creature such as himself. Had he not left a tangible impression upon the girl, one that would leave no compunctions of his validity, of his existence, of his, well, _real-ness?_

Jareth pouted (in a manner fit for a king, mind you) for a bit after finding out this little bit of information. A few goblins were punted out of very high-up castle windows during his tantrum, while others were lucky, and were merely hucked at sharply-pointed, appendage-damaging items. Chickens were thrown liberally into the bog for an excess of clucking and preening, and many rooms of the castle (and areas of the Labyrinth) were demolished with a relish that could not be ignored. Hoggle was summoned from the entrance of the Labyrinth to be told the great tidings. Jareth had perversely enjoyed watching Hoggle react to the news that Sarah no longer believed that he was real. He knew that Hoggle and the rest of his fur-brained compatriots had talked with Sarah through the use of mirrors. He also knew that they had not talked for two years now. (Being the monarch of this land, he was obliged to know everything that went on in his realm.)

It was some time before Jareth had emerged from his foul mood, enough at least to see that he could use his apparent status as a fictional character to his advantage. Grinning wickedly, Jareth planned carefully, thus bringing us back to Jareth watching Sarah reading under the old oak, lamenting the time gone by and relishing in plans to be hatched.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: Hey look at that! A new story!**

**I can't guarantee any sort of timeframe for when chapters are going to be posted, so expect them when you least expect them! (Seriously, like if a month or so goes by…) I am working 40+ hours a week (to pay for my shiny new Macbook Pro I just ordered for school) and then I go on vacation for a week, and then school starts again in August, and I'll be pretty busy!**

**BTW- I swear I'm going to make Jareth a more complex character that does more than just mope after Sarah and throw temper tantrums. I just needed to get something that I can build on! **

**Here's to trying to write a Laby fanfic that *hopefully* has a somewhat original plot! Cheers! (BTW: I am not an Early Childhood Education major, in case anyone is curious, I just thought that it would fit Sarah.)**

**For those who enjoy it: a Harry Potter and a Little Women reference!**

**Please review! I always enjoy reading and responding to them!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	2. Chapter 2: Something Wild

**Chapter Two**

_Something Wild_

"_Every now and then _

_I get a little bit restless,_

_And I dream of something wild."_

_-"Total Eclipse of the Heart" from "Tanz der Vampire"_

_(AN: I know it is sung by Bonnie Tyler, but the "Tanz der Vampire" version is what this chapter relates to more. "Tanz der Vampire" and the song are originally by Jim Stienman. Yep. I'm a nerd.)_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Tonight, Jareth decided. Tonight was the night when he was going to do it. His powers were restored to their full extent, and the Labyrinth and the rest of Jareth's kingdom repaired to its full unruly splendor. Other than that, the day was no different than any other. The planets were not in any astrologically significant alignment, it was nowhere _near_ the Ides of March, nor was it the anniversary of the day Sarah first visited the Underground; it was just Tuesday.

That, thought Jareth (smugly congratulating himself on his utter brilliance) was what made it so perfect, it was just an ordinary Tuesday, not auspicious or special in any way. That made his attack utterly ingenious, made it _unpredictable._ And, when dealing with a girl such as Sarah, unpredictability was essential if you wanted to get away with anything nefarious or wayward.

Jareth cleared the throne room of goblins with a few well-placed kicks and several loudly-uttered musings of whether or not the remaining goblins should be dunked into the Bog of Eternal Stench. After the threat of the Bog had been made, goblins scampered to and fro, eager to leave the presence of their king, who was obviously in one of his _moods. _

Alone, Jareth paced the room restlessly for a moment before striding over to his throne in an irritated gait, and sitting down with an audible 'hmph,' keeping up a steady nervous staccato by tapping the side of his throne with his riding crop.

It all came down to this moment. Even though Jareth prided himself on believing that his plan was fool-proof, Sarah had a flair for making things fall apart at the seams. She just had that knack.

Jareth glanced over at the carriage clock sitting amongst the debris in the room, annoyed and slightly dismayed that he had several hours yet until it would be dark Aboveground, and who knew when Sarah would actually go to bed after that.

Jareth fabricated a crystal and held it gently for a moment, staring intensely into its depths before letting out a plaintive sigh and conjuring up a pewter holder in the shape of a furled-up dragon. He set the holder on a small table beside his throne and sat the crystal in the holder. He groaned and stretched his arms, folding them comfortably behind his head. He had waited this long, a few more hours should be no problem.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

A few hours later, Jareth glanced to his side, glimpsing the image in the crystal, doing a double take as he looked away, half-rising from his seat in his excitement. He was still for a moment, and his clothes altered into his trademark formidable dark outfit, complete with an imposing silk cape that flowed airily. Jareth grinned wickedly and snatched up the crystal off of its pewter stand and strode over to the window seat, his heart beating very fast. He gazed deeply into the crystal once more, and his grin grew.

The time was nigh.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah yawned and stretched, getting up from her miniscule kitchen table. She picked up the few dishes that littered the table and carried them over to the sink, deciding to forgo doing the dishes tonight, leaving them piled haphazardly until tomorrow.

She yawned again, and walked around the kitchen counter to her living room, flopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote, flipping through the channels, trying to find something interesting to watch. It seems that the gods of good television had decided to scorn Sarah that night, as the most enthralling program to watch was infomercials.

Sarah looked half-heartedly at the shelf that held her movies before giving up any hope of getting entertainment from her television that night, and grunting, got up from her worn couch and walked into her cozy bedroom, flipping on the light as she did so. She walked over to the bookshelf that was pushed up against the far wall, touching her window on one side, and the wall on the other. Sarah stood quietly, contemplating the titles, trying to pick out a book to read. Eventually, Sarah picked up a well-worn tome and set it on her bed.

Sarah crossed the room to her chest of drawers and removed her pajamas before pulling them on and tossing them in the dirty clothes bin as she made her way to the bathroom to perform her nightly toilette.

Sarah returned after some time, switching off the main light in the room in favor of her bedside lamp, and crawled under the covers of her bed, settling down with her book.

Sarah read for a few hours, easily losing herself in the rich mythos of the book, greeting the characters as old friends. She found it harder and harder to stay awake, however, not because the book was boring, but simply because it was late and Sarah was tired from a long day of work. She finished the chapter she was on, bookmarked her place and set the book gently on her nightstand, turning out her light as well. Sarah turned over and snuggled deeper under the covers, drifting quickly off to sleep.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

It was a very odd dream.

At least it wasn't _the_ dream, though.

As much as Sarah loved her reoccurring dream, sometimes too much of a good thing turned out to be bad. Or at least in Sarah's case, it made for boring nighttime wanderings of the mind.

The dream itself was dark. Not a cold dark, mind you, but a warm, safe, summer night kind of dark.

Sarah found that she was standing in a forest clearing, a cool breeze rippling through the moon-silvered leaves, making her hair drift lazily across her face. The dream Sarah spun in a joyful circle, indescribably happy to be in the glade. In the midst of her twirling, Sarah noticed the sky, and gazing up through the leafy branches above her, saw that it was strewn with brilliantly-lit stars, basking in the inky blackness of space. She reveled in the quiet beauty, loving the peaceful clearing at once.

Suddenly, Sarah became under the impression that she was not alone in her private little dream world. A shadow moved, slinking behind a tree ten or so feet from where Sarah was standing.

Curious, Sarah moved forward, trying to get closer to the movement that had piqued her interest, staring through the branches in the incandescent starlight. However, Sarah's dream would not allow her to get any closer. No matter how many trees she walked past, the shadow stayed resolutely in the same spot, remaining, in the way that dream-logic is often so fond of, so close and yet so far.

Sarah sat down petulantly on a stump, crossing her legs with a disgruntled 'hmph.'

"Fine then," Sarah called to the shadow, "be that way."

"I will, thank you," the shadow replied, startling Sarah so much that she fell sideways off of the stump, kicking up a puff of dirt as she landed on the ground.

"You can talk!" exclaimed Sarah from the forest floor, surprised.

"But of course," said the shadow smoothly, undulating slightly in the dim silvery light, "I could do any manner of things in a dream. I shall restrain myself at the present, however, to just talking, if you don't mind."

"Why can't I get any closer to see you?" queried Sarah, a tad exasperated at the shadow, brushing herself off as she rose to her feet. "This is my dream, and I should be able to do whatever I want in it."

"Because," the dream-shadow said, in a slightly exasperated tone, "I have free will. And besides," the shadow paused to flit so that it was now a bit further away, "I do not want to."

"Fine," said Sarah, turning resolutely and walking away from the incomprehensibly and infernally aggravating shadow.

It was a few moments before Sarah realized that she was walking in place.

She threw a contemptuous look over her shoulder.

"Stop that!" Sarah said icily, glaring at the shadow, who laughed in a most Puck-ish manner.

"I'm glad you're amused," Sarah snapped waspishly, folding her arms and cocking her eyebrow.

"Sufficiently, thank you," replied the shadow, moving so that it was back beside the tree it started out by.

Sarah looked with all her might, but could not discern anything about the shadow, save that it was tall, dark, and annoying.

"You're quite impossible," sniffed Sarah, sitting down once more on her stump.

"Anything is possible in a dream, love," the shadow said saucily by way of response.

Sarah could have sworn she heard a smirk in its tone, but decided to ignore it, saying nothing and resuming her glaring.

"I am afraid that you are glaring about three feet too far to the left, my dear" pointed out the shadow with barely suppressed mirth.

"You're quite wrong," said Sarah testily, "You _are_ impossible. Anything as annoying as you couldn't possibly be real."

"One can only hope," was the shadow's enigmatic reply.

At this moment, Sarah deemed that sulking and ignoring the shadow would be the proper course of action. She sat in silence for a few minutes, forgetting after some time that she was determinedly sulking, and eased into a relaxed calmness, enjoying the fragrant breeze that whispered through the lofty boughs of the trees around her.

She jumped when she heard the shadow speak. She had quite forgotten that it was there.

"Good bye."

"What?" twitted Sarah, after she had calmed down her racing heart, "Are you leaving?"

"No, you are." The shadow's voice was distant as Sarah felt herself waking up.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah opened her eyes, turning to look blearily at her alarm clock, which was noisily telling her that it was 6:15 a.m and that she's better get up, lest she be late for work. She groaned and rolled out of bed, leaving all recollections of her nighttime wanderings behind her.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Jareth grinned widely as he watched Sarah leave the dream. As far as a first day (well, night, actually) of implementing his plan, Jareth considered it to be a success. True, nothing important or major happened, but it was a start.

More importantly, thought Jareth, he had seen _her_, in person. It was as though a fire had been lit in his mind.

He replayed the night's events over and over in his psyche, never tiring of the scenes. He could not bring himself to concentrate on anything other than his scheme now that it had been successfully initiated.

He was obsessed.

Not that he hadn't been obsessed before, but this was singular. There is a difference between obsessing over an idea, as he had done so for the seven years since Sarah had beaten his Labyrinth, and obsessing over a person.

People were tangible.

Ideas were surely powerful, that could not be denied; people lived, fought and died for the sake of ideas, but ideas are nothing more than that: ideas. People could be touched, could feel emotions, could love and be loved.

It was not an idea that Jareth obsessed over, it was a person.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: Chapter Two: ka-CHECK! I hope everyone enjoys this! I'm slowly but surely working on the next chapters as I end work (I work today and Sunday, and then I'm done!) and gear up to go back to school. Not going to lie, I'm kind of excited to be going back to school, if only to be on campus again (and turning the big 21!) Not excited for school work. Also, I've finally got my new MacBook Pro! So shiny! **

**Anyways, hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Expect the next chapter when you least expect it! I'm going to be busy this next week with getting ready to go back to school, and moving back up next weekend! **

**For those who enjoy it: Shakespeare and V for Vendetta references! **

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	3. Chapter 3: That Merry Wanderer

**Chapter Three**

_That Merry Wanderer_

"_Thou speak'st aright;_

_I am that merry wanderer of the night._

_I jest to Oberon and make him smile."_

_-Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah sighed as she filled up the sink with soapy water, dumping what was now two nights worth of dirty dishes into its foamy depths. Sarah hummed quietly as she did her chore, making up a song that was one part ACDC, one part Lady Gaga, and two parts Tchaikovsky. She quickly washed and rinsed off the dishes, setting them in the drainer beside the sink, lamenting all the while of her lack of a dishwasher.

It had been a very trying day of work. The trip to the city pool had been cancelled on account of it had been raining non-stop all morning. There had been a rash of tantrums thrown at the news of the field trip's cancellation, and several more thrown at the prospect of having to share markers during the hastily-concocted coloring time. (Sarah had neglected to check for improperly-capped markers the last time they had been used, thus resulting in a large supply of dried-out markers. )

After the tantrums over the markers and the cancelled field trip had subsided, it had been calm for a while. After lunch, however, Sarah had received a call from a parent whose child was absent that day. Turns out the little boy had chicken pox. Sarah had spent the rest of the day typing up a newsletter to send home in the kid's backpacks, informing the rest of the parents of this outbreak.

Sarah groaned inwardly as she drained the dishwater, thinking of the plethora of frantic phone calls she would receive tomorrow morning from frenzied parents, demanding that she present them with a solution.

Sarah chucked her dishrag down in the sink and flipped off the kitchen light as she walked to her bedroom, too tired to do much else than collapse in bed.

Sarah's bed felt like heaven after her long and trying day; she was asleep before her head had hit the pillow.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah decided that she quite liked her dreams as of late- they were so peaceful and quiet; all of her worries and fears seemed to melt away in this place. If only it were possible for her to move to her dream world more permanently…

"You are here early."

Sarah jumped. She'd forgotten about the shadow that haunted her dream world. It wasn't a sinister shadow, but it hadn't proven itself to have an overabundance of benevolence either. It was just kind of _there._

The shadow chuckled at Sarah's start.

"I am sorry, did I frighten you? I seem to have that unfortunate effect on people."

"Y-yes," stuttered Sarah, trying to calm her frantically racing heart. "I'd forgotten that you were here. I suppose you live here?"

"For the time being," replied the shadow casually, appearing to sit down on a stump a little ways away from Sarah. It was a little hard to tell, as Sarah couldn't seem to focus her eyes on the shadow's form.

Sarah sat down as well, comfortably brushing some leaves off the forest floor as she did so.

"So," said the shadow in a most business-like manner, "How was your day?"

Sarah almost laughed at this, it seemed like something that one spouse would say to the other after a long day at work. It was so ordinary that it seemed quite out of place in her dream world, which, while ordinary in appearance, had a distinct oddity about it.

"It was very long," sighed Sarah, sliding off the stump to sit on the ground beside it, leaning her back up against the trunk.

This time when the shadow spoke, the tone was a bit harder, icier, as if the shadow did not like to see Sarah distressed.

"Did something terrible happen?"

"No, nothing like that, it was just very busy today. I work at a place where you take care of kids while their parents are at work. It's basically glorified babysitting. Anyways, we had planned on taking a field trip to the swimming pool today, but it rained, and some kids threw tantrums over not being able to go, and then most of the markers were dried out, and that was a huge crisis, of course." Sarah threw her hands up in the air, heaving a huge breath as she finished her rant dramatically. "To top it all off, one of the kids has chicken pox, and now the rest of them will catch it. I can just imagine the phone calls I will be getting tomorrow from parents."

The shadow 'tsk'ed sympathetically.

"This chicken pox, does it mean that all of the children are going to transform into chickens? I can see why their parents would be concerned…"

It took a few moments for the shadow's words to penetrate Sarah's preoccupied consciousness. She burst out laughing, wheezing and doubling over in her mirth.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and hiccoughed as she spoke haltingly.

"No-o, Shadow, it is just an illness that makes you get a really itchy rash and feverish. It's really contagious and so now probably a whole bunch of the kids have caught it from that one little boy. It is a common illness for kids, and isn't life threatening. You most certainly do not turn into a chicken from catching chicken pox. I dunno, maybe in this world you would, but not in mine."

"That does not sound quite as entertaining as I had imagined," replied the shadow, a hint of disappointment marring his voice. "It would have been so amusing to see little half-chicken, half-children running around."

"Not," the shadow amended smoothly, before Sarah could protest, "for you of course. I think the parents of your wards would be angrier if their children became chickens instead of just spotty."

"I can almost guarantee that," Sarah replied, trying to keep her voice modulated in what she hoped was a serious tone.

Sarah and the shadow laughed at this, and then lapsed off into comfortable silence.

Sarah thought that she could hear birds off in the distance, cooing softly in the warm still air.

A thought struck Sarah, which she voiced aloud, breaking the silence.

"I've just realized, I don't know your name, nor have I told you mine. My name is Sarah. Sarah Williams. Do you, I mean, do you have a name?"

"Sarah." The shadow repeated the name, speaking as though it relished every syllable. "What a lovely name. I'm afraid that I have forgotten my name. Names are of little significance when not spoken aloud for many years. I believe that you have been calling me "Shadow," if I am not much mistaken."

"Please tell me you're not psychic" said Sarah warily, eyeing the shadow cautiously.

"It's a secret" replied Shadow conspiratorially. "Anyways, 'Shadow' is a fine name. It invokes fear into the hearts of children, and curiosity into the hearts of young girls. I think I shall quite like it."

"Insufferable, more like," muttered Sarah, belatedly coming to the realization that this shadow of hers was not only impossibly annoying, but also as vain and proud as a peacock. "Exceedingly peculiar and quite impossible to describe."

"So Sarah Williams," said Shadow, valiantly ignoring Sarah's slight on his new name and instead choosing to forge on, "Is there a Mr. Williams?"

"Yes," said Sarah slowly, a little hesitant to reveal any more personal information to a being who delighted in the fact that his name could inspire nightmares. "My father. I have a stepmother, Karen, and a younger brother, Toby. Oh, we also have an old dog, Merlin."

The tense silence that seemed to have blanketed down over the pair at Sarah's hesitant 'yes' evaporated quickly at the rest of Sarah's response.

Sarah continued, not noticing the tense stillness, "I moved out of my parent's house a while ago, and now I live in an itty-bitty apartment. I have a steady job, and a nice enough car. I don't exactly have a glamorous life, but it is mine, and shall make of it what I can."

"It sounds nice," commented Shadow, "very peaceful and ordinary."

"Yes," replied Sarah lamely, "Ordinary."

"It's not enough" said Shadow suddenly, breaking Sarah's mental preoccupation.

"What?" said Sarah, slightly startled.

"You deserve more. Something extraordinary and incredible and utterly magical."

"How do you know," said Sarah, a bit testily.

"I read between the lines," was the saucy reply.

"Somehow, I don't believe that…" Sarah said, trying to keep most of the disbelief out of her voice.

"Suit yourself" said Shadow lazily, completely at ease. He paused, as if he was stretching out so that he would be more comfortable on his stump. "So, tell me more about your family. I haven't had anyone to talk to in such a long time, and I am dreadfully curious about your life."

"Why don't you just read my mind then," said Sarah waspishly, a bit peeved at her nighttime companion.

"Because," said Shadow exasperatedly, as if he was explaining something very simple to someone who was very obtuse, "I cannot read your mind." He paused and then added, a little wickedly, "At least, not really.

"As I've said before," sighed Sarah, "Impossible. Simply impossible."

"Please tell me more about your family. I promise I'll be good." Shadow's plea was so earnest that Sarah had the sudden mental image of Toby saying something similar, trying to placate an irate Sarah into giving in to what he wanted.

Sarah's brow softened and she leaned back easily, making herself comfortable once more.

"All right, but remember, you promised."

Sarah drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms easily around her legs.

"My family lives in this old Victorian house, at the end of a narrow lane. There are lots of old trees around the house, which provide lots of shade during the summer and lots of pretty leaves to rake up in the fall. We have a nice-sized yard, which is great because Toby and Merlin are always running around outside having fun.

"Toby is 8 years old, and he has very blond hair and blue eyes. He is incredibly rambunctious and imaginative. I'm not sure what he enjoys more: exasperating Karen, or exasperating me!"

Sarah laughed, speaking easily now.

"I love him though, with all my heart. He may annoy the hell out of me at times, but he is my brother. We're family."

"He sounds like me when I was young," commented Shadow.

"I pity your mother." Sarah laughed, smiling at Shadow. "If you were anything like Toby, then you must have been a handful, to say the least. Karen and my father are so grateful whenever I go home on weekends to visit Toby."

"Is Karen not your mother?" queried Shadow, drinking in all the information as if he was a man long parched of water.

"I told you, she is my step-mother. My birth mother left when I was very young to pursue her acting career. A family would have tied her down. Karen and I don't often see eye to eye- she is far too pragmatic, and I am very much a dreamer- but I care for her and she for me. My father met her at work and they fell in love, were married, and had Toby.

"I remember when my dad and Karen told me that I was going to have a baby brother. I'll admit that I threw quite the temper tantrum. I was so used to being the only child and thus the center of attention, that I was loathe to let someone else steal my spotlight."

"Poor little Sarah," lamented Shadow in a teasing tone.

"I thought that you said you'd behave," said Sarah, indignantly raising an eyebrow.

"I apologize," said Shadow, most contritely, "I am afraid that I forgot myself. Whilst thou ever forgive me, my dear Lady Sarah?"

"Now you're just being facetious" grumbled Sarah, trying to hide her smile.

"No, I am cheering you up. And a damn good job of it, too!"

"Touché" conceded Sarah reluctantly, smiling in spite of her reluctance. "I _am_ glad that you're here, though. I don't remember the last time I was this relaxed." Sarah paused thoughtfully. "Or this cheerful, for that matter."

"I am most glad that I could assist" said Shadow in what was unmistakably a kindly, almost _humble_ tone.

"Being a responsible grownup is hard" said Sarah petulantly, with a theatrical sigh.

"Indeed it is" replied Shadow sympathetically. "I propose that we should run away and fly off to Neverland. How does that sound?"

"I think that that sounds wonderful" enthused Sarah, delighted that her shadow knew of that particular tale.

"Tomorrow night, then" said Shadow soberly, not willing to end this little game of theirs.

The sky was lightening to a dusky grey. Dawn was approaching.

"Promise?" asked Sarah.

"Promise."

"I'll hold you to it," said Sarah seriously, though her demeanor was diminished by the presence of a poorly-suppressed smile.

"I would expect no less from you," replied Shadow solemnly.

Sarah smiled and then sighed, closing her eyes as she left her ethereal dream-world for her real, solid world.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Jareth sighed too as he watched Sarah leave, lamenting that the time had passed so quickly in their little in-between world.

He chuckled, remembering his new name.

'Shadow.'

So banal, and yet so full of potential. It was very…mysterious, which was exactly how Jareth wanted to appear to Sarah. It wouldn't do if Sarah connected the dots too soon…it would spoil the plan that Jareth had so lovingly laid out. All would be revealed…

All in due time.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: I promise that the whole story won't just be a recap of Sarah's day and then her dreaming. Just need to get the story beefed up a bit before I can get to the really fun stuff! I'm so desperate to get to the fun stuff that I find myself writing "Jareth" instead of "Shadow," half the time and I have to scribble it out and fix it! I promise that the exciting stuff will be coming, slowly but surely! I plan on having the "big revelation" in a few chapters from now. (It's not quite as fun to write J/S interaction when only half of the party is cognizant of the other's true identity.)**

**I'm pretty busy now that school is started back up, which is to be expected. Once I get settled back into the swing of things, however, hopefully I'll be able to find more time to write!**

**For those who enjoy it: Wicked (musical), Harry Potter, and Peter Pan references! **

**As always, expect the next chapter when you least expect it!**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	4. Chapter 4, Part 1: Not Real

**Chapter Four: Part 1**

_Not Real_

"_Of course it's happening inside your head Harry,_

_but why on earth should that mean that_

_it is not real?"_

_-J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Once again, Sarah awoke remembering nothing of her dream. Sarah smiled as she stretched. It was Friday, which meant that she'd be going to her parent's house after work today, one of her favorite weekend activities.

Elated at the thought, Sarah jumped out of bed and got ready for the day at top speed. Sarah was so excited to see Toby that she forgot her car keys in her apartment and had to walk back up the three flights of stairs to her apartment to sheepishly retrieve them.

Sarah was quite right when she'd told Shadow that she would be getting frantic phone calls about the outbreak of chicken pox. She spent most of her morning on the phone dealing with hysterical parents demanding solutions to this disaster. Half of the children were absent that day as their parents were making a desperate attempt to avoid their children contracting the chicken pox.

It was yet another long day. However, the thought of seeing her family soon cheered Sarah up immensely.

Sarah let out a huge sigh of relief as the last child was picked up by their parent, meaning that Sarah was finally able to leave. Sarah skipped to her car, unable to contain her elation. It was because of this same elation that Sarah drove rather faster than the speed limit as she approached her old house, earning her more than one reproving glare form the elderly folks who lived in the area.

Toby was sitting out on the front porch, Merlin laying placidly beside him. Both looked up as they heard Sarah's car crunch slowly up the gravel drive. Toby jumped to his feet and began to hop excitedly, whooping and waving madly to his beloved sister.

Sarah honked her horn at them as she came to a stop, hardly managing to extract herself from her car before she was attacked by Toby, Merlin trotting after him, nearly knocking the both of them down as he leaned up against Sarah's legs.

"Augh! Laughed Sarah, trying to keep both her and Toby from tumbling to the ground. "Merlin! I know you've missed me, but let me at least get away from my car before you make me scratch your tummy!"

"Hi Sarah!" cheered Toby, squeezing Sarah in a hug around her midriff.

"Hey there kiddo! How was school today?"

"Boring," sighed Toby sullenly, "We had a spelling test, which was really really easy. I only got one word wrong!" He puffed out his chest proudly. "An' we also did math and had gym. I guess today wasn't really _that_ boring. Just a little. Was work boring too?"

"A little," admitted Sarah, walking with Toby to the front door, "A lot of the little kids got sick with the chicken pox, and so a lot of them stayed home today."

"That sucks," sighed Toby, pushing open the front door. "MOM!" he hollered, plopping down on the rug and pulling off his sneakers, "SARAH'S HERE!"

Karen peeked her head into the living room, her face beaming.

"So lovely to see you, Sarah dear! How have you been?"

"Good," replied Sarah as Toby tugged keenly on her arm, trying to lead her in the direction of the stairs. "Pretty much the same as always…"

"_MOM!" _interrupted Toby, impatiently standing on the stairs, Sarah's forearm grasped in his hands. "I need to show Sarah my new toy!" He pulled Sarah up the stairs, muttering under his breath about how nosy his mother was.

"Watch your tone, young man!" called Karen, raising a haughty eyebrow at her son, who proceeded to cart Sarah up the stairs.

"Geez," said Toby conspiratorially to his sister as they reached the top of the stairs and headed to Toby's room. "Mom is so snoopy! Anyways, I have been waiting _so long_ to show you…TA DA!"

Toby proudly brandished a shiny robot at Sarah, going on (without stopping for breath) to describe all of the features and special moves that the toy was comprised of, chattering on and on, excited to finally see his sister.

Sarah nodded and "ooh"d and "ahh"d at the appropriate times, smiling as she reminisced about what it was like to be Toby's age.

Before long, Karen called to the two up the stairs, announcing that dinner was ready.

"RACE YA!" giggled Toby, already half-way down the stairs. Sarah took off after him, catching up before he had reached the bottom of the stairs, proceeding to pick him up and deposit him on the couch before hurrying into the kitchen, ignoring her brother's protests of 'That's not fair!'

Karen shook her head as Sarah entered the kitchen, slightly breathless.

"It's so nice to see you acting your age, dear," she said sardonically, setting a steaming casserole down on the kitchen table.

Sarah's father came into the kitchen as well, patting a pouting Toby on the head as he did so.

"Nice to see you home," he said warmly to Sarah, giving her a one-armed hug as she was setting the table for her step-mother.

Soon, all the family was sitting at the table, eating and talking merrily about anything and everything, enjoying each other's company.

After the meal had been eaten and the dishes taken care of, they settled in the living room to chat some more and to play some games. Toby picked Pictionary, while Sarah picked an old favorite: Scrabble.

Naturally, Sarah won Scrabble, thanks to many years devotion to the love of literature. Toby claimed that he won the game of Pictionary, but no one was sure as Merlin had interrupted the game half-way through and carried off the notepad with the scores.

After a few hours, Sarah glanced up at the old carriage clock that hung in the entryway, and, noting the time, suggested that it was probably time for her to be heading home.

Toby protested, but after promising to visit again next time, Sarah managed to mollify the little boy, hugging him tightly before Karen chivvied him upstairs so that he could go to bed.

Sarah stifled a yawn as she pulled on her shoes, wobbling as she stood on one foot.

"Are you sure that you'll be ok driving home Sarah?" asked Karen as she walked over to the entryway where Sarah was. "I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel."

"I'll be fine, it's not that far. I'll turn up the music really loud."

"Probably sing along to it too," called Sarah's father teasingly from his perch on the couch

"Oh hush," said Karen dismissively, rolling her eyes in Robert's direction, "Come say goodbye to Sarah. C'mon lazybones, get up off the couch."

Robert made quite the show of getting up off the couch, walked over to Sarah, enveloping her in a huge bear hug.

Karen leaned in and kissed Sarah's cheeks.

"Before you go dear, I found something the other day while I was cleaning out your old room. I thought you'd like to have it."

She turned to the bookshelf and picked up a slim red book. The gold lettering on the front read: _The Labyrinth._

"Thanks," replied Sarah, a bit bemused, staring at the curiously familiar worn out tome. Sarah thought that she had put all of her old books in with all of her old childhood things in a box to be stored in the attic. She must have missed this one.

"Off with you! Drive careful! I miss you already" said Robert, chivvying Sarah out the door.

"Goodbye!"

As Sarah walked to her car, she noticed that a curtain moved in an upstairs window of her house, a pale head peeping out, and waving mournfully at her. Sarah smiled and blew some kisses at the little boy before getting in her car and driving home.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Jareth grinned at the faintly glowing crystal in his palm. He watched as a tired Sarah laid his book on her bedside table.

"Poor dear. Too tired to read tonight. That's just as well. That innocuous little book contains _quite_ the story, my dear. Spoilers, even.

Jareth sighed and transformed smoothly into his shadow form, walking through the castle and out into his Labyrinth to await his Sarah.

_Spoilers._

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: A short chapter, but at least I managed to update, eh? This is only the first part of the chapter. Expect the next half (and rather more exciting) of the chapter NEXT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12****th****!**

**Sorry about the long wait! School has been so crazy lately, and on top of that, I am trying to get ready to study abroad next semester, which is way more work than you'd think! However, I decided that instead of trying to do NaNoWriMo, I should probably work on **_**this**_** story! Yay updates!**

**For those who enjoy it: Doctor Who reference! (Hint: Silence in the Library)**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	5. Chapter 4, Part 2: What It Seems

**AN: So…I apologize for not posting this chapter last week as I said. I forgot my edited copy of this when I went to my parent's house for the weekend, which is a two hour's drive from where I go to school!**

**Chapter Four: Part 2**

_What It Seems_

"_How can this be what it seems?_

_All of my most secret dreams,_

_Somehow set free!"_

_-"The Beauty Underneath" from_

_Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical _

"_Phantom: Love Never Dies"_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah trudged slowly up the stairs to her apartment, glad that she was home. She was more tired than she had thought when she'd left her family's home.

Sarah chucked her bag and coat in a chair, still holding onto the little book that Karen had given to her.

Sarah set the book down on her bed as she pulled on her pajamas, moving it to her nightstand as she clambered into bed, falling asleep quite as easily as she had the night before. The golden letters, which graced the cover of the curious tome she had acquired, gleamed slightly in the moonlight as it lay innocently on her nightstand.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

This wasn't the dreamland that she had become accustomed to as of late. This was somewhere altogether different and strange. It was wrong.

It was also strangely familiar.

A tall wall made of weathered yellow stone stretched far in front of her to the left and right, looking as though it never ended.

_She'd been here before…_

Sarah walked towards the wall and reached out a hand to touch the stone, which was decorated with dried vines and a faintly shimmering haze.

"Sarah?"

Sarah turned towards the voice, her outstretched hand just a few centimeters from the wall. There was her forest behind her, and her Shadow, waiting. Sarah turned to look back at the wall, but it was gone.

More forest spread out before her, calm in the night air, her arm reaching up to touch nothing.

Sarah had the most peculiar impression that Shadow moved in closer to her, but how could that be? It couldn't be a _corporeal_ thing, could it? Just mist and shadow…But Sarah was certain that she'd felt the air stir when Shadow drew near to her. This was all too odd.

"Are you alright?"

Sarah jumped, startled out of her preoccupation.

"I-I thought…I…" Sarah stared blankly ahead, her arm still outstretched. She slowly lowered her arm. "Never mind."

"If you said so," replied Shadow placidly, choosing kindly to ignore Sarah's temporary lapse in sanity.

Sarah sat down, bemused, glancing behind her a few more times to really check if that strange wall was there, but all that met her gaze was trees and more trees.

"Are you ready to go to Neverland tonight?" asked Shadow mischievously, snapping Sarah out of her reverie, "As I promised."

"What? Oh, yes, I suppose…" Sarah trailed off, speech disappearing. There was the wall again, this time behind Shadow, sitting there as plain as day.

"There it is again!" said Sarah wildly, "There! Right through those trees…do you see it?"

"Sarah, what are you looking at? I was only jesting about Neverland, you know. Sarah, where on earth are you going?"

Sarah had leapt to her feet, moving quickly towards the rematerialized wall. It towered before her, imposing and vaguely familiar, as if it was from some fragment of a long forgotten dream.

She felt the air more behind her, and knew that her ethereal friend was behind her. Sarah shivered slightly, not sure if her newfound knowledge that Shadow was just a little bit more than simply shadows was welcome.

"See!" said Sarah, half triumphant, half exasperated, gesturing emphatically. "Wall!"

"Yes, I can see _that_," said Shadow, a touch of cynicism marring his voice. "What is it doing here in my forest?"

Sarah exhaled, frustrated, "How should I know? You live here! Haven't you ever seen it before?"

"It is _your_ dream," said Shadow, as if explaining something very simple to someone very obtuse. "This wall must be in your subconscious somewhere, and therefore it decided to manifest itself right in the middle of my forest."

"But-but…" stuttered Sarah, "I haven't seen…"

She trailed off, the faint feeling of familiarity pervading her mind once more. "I can't remember how, but I think…huh."

She stood pensively before the wall, lost in the depths of her mind, searching for any recollection of the wall.

"Well, this has branched off a bit, has it not? I thought you liked my forest. Why did you have to go and put a great bloody wall in the middle of it? A door-less wall, mind you." Shadow sounded a little miffed that Sarah seemed to think that his forest had grown boring.

"I don't know why I put the stupid wall there," said Sarah angrily, looking darkly at Shadow, "It' not like I can control my own dreams, can I? If I could, they wouldn't exactly be dreams, would they?"

"Oh," said Shadow silkily, "but you _can_. You are the mistress here in these lands, should you choose to become so. Anything you want…all you have to do is wish it, to desire it to be, and it will obey."

Sarah stood silently, trying to absorb the enormity of the information, a cold chill creeping down her spine as she did so. There was some other greater force at work here, still hidden from her and she did not like it…

"For instance," the shadow continued, languidly pacing before the wall, "I have always wondered why you imagined me as a shadow. It is most curious, wouldn't you say? Shadows are typically associated with the dark and the frightening, and yet, here I am."

A twinge of fear stole into Sarah's heart as she watched the creature pace before her. Was it her imagination, or did Shadow seem to become a bit more _corporeal_ as he paced, appearing as a tall person, cloaked, staring at Sarah from behind the inky blackness of his hood, and stalking before her like a great wild cat?

Sarah blinked hard and shook her head, trying to dispel this unsettling image. It did not help a great deal. The thing seemed to flicker vaguely between the shadow and the cloaked man, as if he was coming in and out of focus.

"Why not imagine me as more than just a shadow," said the being, drawing near to Sarah, pausing for effect before lazily circling around where Sarah stood rooted to the spot, shifting in and out of focus all the while.

"I could be _so much more_ if you wished me to. Just think it…imagine it…dream it…"

Sarah was more than frightened now, she was terrified, half from the creature circling her like a vulture, and half from the sense that all of this was terribly familiar, and that if she had any sense, she should get the hell away.

"I cannot deny that I have watched you for quite some time, Sarah Williams. I have been patient, oh yes, so _very_ patient."

Sarah finally shook off the fog of numb horror that clouded her mind, stepping quickly back from the prowling thing.

"Wh-who are you? What are you talking about? What do you want!"

"How very like you, love, so full of questions that I cannot answer. Well, not now, at least. It would spoil my wondrous plan…oh, and what a plan it is too!"

Sarah continued to retreat, casting wildly about, trying to find a way out of this waking nightmare.

"Hmm, but I suppose I could answer one of your questions, my dear, as you've been so good. 'What do I want?'"

The shadow laughed, a terrible, unearthly laugh that tugged at the edges of Sarah's memory, as if begging and dreading to be remembered.

"Why, _you_, of course!"

Sarah blanched with horror as the creature continued to laugh mirthlessly, backing up quickly against a tree and screwing her eyes shut, begging to wake up.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah shot up in bed, the horrendously familiar laugh still ringing in her ears. She pressed her hand to her breast, trying to calm her wildly racing heart.

What a horrendous nightmare! And yet, it seemed all too real and somehow reminiscent of something long forgot…

Sarah shook her head to dispel these unsettling thoughts and rolled over, falling into a -mercifully- dreamless sleep.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The book sat ever so innocently on her nightstand, the catalyst that wavered just on the brink of discovery, so very full of spoilers.

Jareth was still chuckling even now as he smirked at the crystal in his palm. The time was close, so very close. He was not anxious, no, everything was happening according to plan, as he knew it would.

His schemes always went according to plan.

…_except when _she_ was involved…_

No.

Jareth shook his head determinedly.

Not this time. This time, he held all the cards. No squalling babies in this dreamscape, no magic words nor motley crews of fairytale friends, just him and her, with their wits and their passions and their truths.

_Well_…

Perhaps Jareth had a few tricks up his rather voluminous sleeves, but that wasn't cheating, just leveling the playing field. Just payback for old hurts and un-righted wrongs.

"Too late to turn back now, Sarah, too late."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: Well, way to be creepy Jareth. You sure know how to make a girl feel special. You know, every girl's secret dream is to have a glittery supernatural stalker hanging about. Really truly.**

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this (half) chapter! I'll do my best to keep writing steadily. I have 3 weeks of classes left and finals week, so I'm pretty busy what with final projects and such, but I'm sure I'll want to procrastinate on schoolwork and write instead!**

**Happy Thanksgiving for those of us in the states! **

**Once again, sorry for being late!**

**For those who enjoy it: LOTR, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who references!  
Not gonna lie, when I read the line "I could be so much more" in this fic, I hear David Tennant's voice in my head ("I could do so much more!") from Doctor Who: "The End of Time." He is so sad when he says that, it gets me every time! Although, in the fic, I think Jareth says in more of a beguiling, well, Jareth-esque tone. Fun fact.**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	6. Chapter 5: Hiding In Shadow

**AN: Surprise! A new chapter this week because I was late posting the last one! Good luck to everyone braving all the crazy people to go Black Friday shopping! **

**Chapter Five**

_Hiding in Shadow_

"_Flattering child you shall know me,_

_See why in shadow I hide._

_Look at your face in the mirror-_

_I am there inside!"_

_-"The Mirror" from_

_Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical  
"The Phantom of the Opera"_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The following day, Sarah was reluctant to go to the bed, though she couldn't quite remember why this was…something about a nightmare she'd had the night before. Something about a monster…

It was so silly.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah had done precious little during the day. It was Saturday, after all, so she decided to take it slow and clean a bit…and read.

Around 3 or so in the afternoon, Sarah decided that she had had quite enough chores for one day, and that she needed to relax.

After struggling to shove the vacuum cleaner back into her miniscule bedroom closet (there was no other place to put the ridiculous thing) she noticed it.

The strange old book Karen had given to her lay innocuously on her nightstand where Sarah had dropped it unceremoniously the night previously before collapsing into bed.

Sarah picked it up curiously, examining the worn red cover and gold lettering, walking into the living room and sitting comfortably on the couch, flipping the book open.

Unnoticed by Sarah, the very air seemed to hold its breath as she flipped past the title page, starting at the beginning. It seemed to be hoping that Sarah would stop reading, would throw the book down, forget that she'd ever seen the thing and hide it away forever. The story that book told was not nice, not pleasant. The memories it would divulge would be even less so.

But alas, it was too late. She was enthralled, enchanted, _ensnared._

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah was startled when she looked up quite a bit later to see that it was 9:16 in the evening. How was it possible that she had been reading for so long? No wonder her stomach was grumbling!

After a hasty dinner, Sarah changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, fully intent on continuing her bewitching reading.

It was all so strange…Sarah could not shake off the feeling that she had heard this story before, a long time ago…

It was the kind of story she loved: A young girl who wished away her younger sibling to a haughty and cruel magician in a fit of despair, and the saga of her struggles and plights she had to overcome to win him back.

A fragment of a dream…

Sarah's eyes were heavy, as she tried to keep reading…she had just gotten to the good part…

She fell asleep, book still open in her hand.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah remembered, quite suddenly and vividly, why she was terrified of sleeping, of dreaming. She was looking right at it.

The thing once-known as 'Shadow' stood before her, no longer flickering between the hazy spectere and the solidly hooded and cloaked being.

Sarah stared for all of two seconds, her mind blank, before she turned tail and ran like a madman, dashing through the forest. She could hear the hooded thing howling with laughter as she sprinted, not caring in which direction she ran, as long as it was _away._

Sarah ran and ran, not daring to waste precious time to look behind her.

Trees whipped by her as she ran, tearing at her dress and hair, leaving angry red marks on her skin. Sarah barely felt the stings of pain, focusing solely on running anywhere that _he_ wasn't.

Sarah scrambled through the forest for what felt like hours, twisting in and out of the labyrinthine trees, trying to shake off the feeling that she was being followed.

Once or twice, Sarah could have sworn that she caught a glimpse of something white and winged flashing through the trees along with her, but she fervently hoped that that was just her imagination.

The trees started thinning out, and Sarah found herself before the yellowed stone wall she had seen before in her last dream, only this time, there was a _door._

Without stopping to think about what could possibly be behind the door, Sarah hurried through the egress, slamming it shut behind her. This was too real to be a dream…it was as if her mind was trying to put together the pieces of an old puzzle, the segments of which had been lost for years and years.

However, Sarah was too frightened to think of this much further at the moment. Every second was precious. She only had 13 hours... She had no time to dawdle; she had to get to the center of this maze to save her brother…

This unbidden thought made Sarah's feet falter, and she tripped, falling harshly to her knees, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to listen for any sounds of _him_ while she was down. She scooted close to the wall, trying to seek any shelter she could, endeavoring to shrink into the dark shadows.

Why had she thought that she needed to save Toby? Toby wasn't here…she must be recalling the little red book that she had been reading before bed…what was the name? Damn, she couldn't remember it…

_The LABYRINTH_

Her mind unexpectedly echoed with the name, sending an unbidden chill down her spine. Why was she so frightened? It was only a story, after all, nothing more.

'_Nothing, tra-la-la?'_

Sarah froze as she heard the wooden door in the wall creak open and the steady crunch of dry leaves and twigs under booted feet as _he _approached.

If only there were any twists or openings in this maze…

'_It's full of openings! You just ain't seein' them!'_

Sarah was frightened. She must be going crazy…this place was playing tricks on her mind. Her leg hurt from when she tripped, and Sarah wasn't sure if she could move it, it ached so painfully. She didn't know if she wanted to move, as the crunching noises grew louder as the shadow, well, as _he_ stalked forward. It was either run or hide.

'_Quite often, young lady, it seems like we're not getting anywhere, when, in fact, we are.'_

"STOP IT!" Sarah shouted, hating all of the voices…her head, oh, how it hurt…so many alien thoughts and voices racing about her mind, it was unbearable! Her leg was injured, her head hurt, and she was terrified out of her wits. If only she knew hot to get out of this place…oh, how she wished…

'_What's said is said.'_

…desperately wishing….

'_I'll say the words…no, I mustn't say…'_

"Whatever you're doing to me, stop! Why won't you leave me alone!"

"Would that I could, dearest."

The creature had finally caught up to her and was standing a few feet from where Sarah was curled up on the ground, just staring down at her.

'_I've brought you a gift.'_

"Why are you doing this? It's not fair!" Sarah sobbed, clutching her throbbing head between her hands. It was all to much. She didn't deserve this.

"You brought this upon yourself, Sarah. You do not remember what you did, but you will. Very soon." The thing spoke calmly, almost _pityingly._

'_No, I must face him alone.'_

"What did I ever do to you? You're not even real, for god's sake! You're just a figment of my imagination!"

"Perhaps," noted the entity, lazily drawing closer, kneeling down do that it would be on an eye-level with Sarah—if she could've seen through the darkness that lay beneath the hood. "And, perhaps not. I am rather eager for you to figure that bit out for yourself. To tell the truth, I cannot believe that you forgot me. I am, after all, so _very_ memorable."

'_You're him, aren't you?'_

"I don't know you, I don't know any of this; It's just some stupid dream!" Sarah cried, the pain in her head mounting.

'_Someone save me, someone take me away from this awful place!'_

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

The thing drew up to its full height, looking down once more on Sarah.

Sarah rose shakily to her feet, unwilling to let this thing intimidate her even more. She clutched at the glittering wall for support.

'_You're no match for me, Sarah.'_

"Quit making me hear things!"

'_Say your right words, the goblins said.'_

"Read the book."

"What?"

Sarah was caught off guard. How could this thing know about the book that Karen had given her?

" 'There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,' " was his enigmatic reply.

"Great. Now you're quoting Shakespeare at me. This is just wonderful" she grumbled, gingerly testing out her aching leg. It throbbed with pain and fatigue.

"Sarah," the hooded creature said in a tone both ancient and ethereal. Sarah looked at it unwillingly. "Things aren't always what they seem in this place. You should remember that soon enough."

And with that, he turned, walking back through the debris of leaves down the long stretch of the maze, disappearing into the glistening mist.

'_How you turn my world, you precious thing.'_

Sarah stood for a few moments, looking on in trepidation as the thing vanished, before sinking weakly to her knees, shaking uncontrollably as fear and pain and despair washed over her.

Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve all of this madness? She never meddled in the affairs of wizards or eldritch creatures, not that Sarah still believed in such things. She was ordinary; just Sarah, nothing special or extraordinary about her.

It was odd how she used to play such fantastical fames, weaving stories such as this, reveling in the magic and mystery of it all. Now she had been unceremoniously dropped right into the middle of a mind-bending nightmarish fantasy of her own, and Sarah was scared witless.

"I think its time for me to wake up," sighed Sarah tiredly. "I need to get away from this awful place."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah awoke in bed, blinking sluggishly as she stared at the ceiling. She could remember her dream in vivid clarity now, that and all of the other dreams she had had before. It was an odd feeling as perfect lucidity settled over her like a heavy blanket. Sarah rolled over restlessly and something hard poked her cheek. Sarah jumped, looking down at her pillow to see what horror was in store for her now.

It was the book.

"_Read the book."_

Sarah cringed hastily away from the offending object.

_Turn back Sarah, turn back before it's too late!_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: Holy hippogriffs Batman! That sure was a lot of movie quotes! (All the things italicized in quotes on its own line are movie quotes). **

**The story is a bit dark at the moment, but that is just set up for what is to come. It won't be exactly super –fluffy in the end, but it won't be angsty and dark.**

**For those who enjoy it: obvious Hamlet reference is obvious. Also, bit of a LOTR ref.**

**Well, I'm off to finally see Harry Potter! Thanks for reading!**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	7. Chapter 6: All You Desire And Dread

**AN: Sorry for my long absence! As a reward for waiting so patiently, my dear readers, here is a lovely new chapter! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Six**

_All You Desire and Dread_

"_I have seen your heart, and it is mine."_

"_Don't listen to it!" Harry said harshly. "Stab it!"_

"_I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley,_

_and I have seen your fears._

_All you desire is possible,_

_but all that you dread is also possible."_

_-"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah avoided the book like the plague, not even daring to look at it as she did her laundry. It lay where she had it last: open on her pillow about halfway through the story.

She would not touch the thing ever again, she would put it away, hide it somewhere. It was cursed!

_But…_

What if it never stopped? What if she always dreamt of the mysterious creature which so delighted in weaving mysteries in her head? If he caught her, it would never end. And he'd always be there haunting the shadows in her head…

Time to end this.

Steeling herself, Sarah turned from her sink full of dirty dishes and walked stolidly to her room to collect the dreaded book.

She carried it gingerly to the living room, flipping it open to where she'd stopped the night before as she sat down on the couch.

Sarah drew in a long breath to, steady herself, and then began to read.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

It was dark when Sarah finally shut the book, so many thoughts teeming in her head.

To some, it would seem incredibly silly that Sarah was frightened by of a fairytale, but to Sarah, it was a necessary precaution. What with her dreams as of late and all of the strange things happening around her, Sarah could not afford to act carelessly. The problem with Sarah's situation was that sometimes, dreams came true, whether you wanted them to or not.

…_As did wishes._

A small clink startled Sarah out of her preoccupation.

She abruptly focused on what lay on the coffee table, a heavy cloak of fear and despair settling over her heart. It was a crystal, faintly glowing. One of _his_ crystals.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

Sarah gasped and stared down at the book once more, thinking about the story she had just read; _her story._

She edged up slowly from the couch and leaned over to tentatively pick up the iridescent orb.

It shimmered for a moment before dissipating into a glittering mist that seeped through her fingers.

Sarah shrank back, pulling her knees up to her chest, huddling on the couch. Her face had a haunted look etched on it, and she seemed to jump at every noise in her little apartment.

It was quite some time before she fell asleep that night.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

There was no pretending this time when she awoke in her dream. She was in the Underground, standing atop the hill that overlooked the entrance to the Labyrinth.

She felt him silently approach, smelling the metallic tang of magic and oiled leather that drifted along in the chill breeze.

"I remember now," Sarah said quietly, not turning to look at him.

"I am surprised that you could have ever forgotten" he replied, his voice as crisp and striking as she had remembered it.

Sarah turned and beheld him, tall and imposing, clad in his trademark black goblin armor, silvery hair and wispy cloak drifting in the breeze: the Goblin King.

"We meet again," said Jareth smoothly, smiling a wicked grin as Sarah glared at him.

What do you want?" asked Sarah wearily, eyeing the Goblin King with wary disdain. "I won Toby back fair and square after playing your little game and running the Labyrinth. That should have been the end of it. You have no business prying into my dreams like this."

"Oh Sarah dearest, but didn't you miss me? I thought that after all these years, I should pop by and see you. You see," Jareth smirked, tugging absent-mindedly at his gloves, "dreams _are_, after all, my specialty."

Sarah's brows drew in as she gave the Goblin King a look that, if Jareth were mortal, would kill.

"So you thought that you would have your fun at my expense, just to _chat_? What, run out of goblins to bog and babies to steal? I'm surprised, Goblin King."

"Alas, I daresay I have grown weary of such stale pastimes. Being the Goblin King can be such a bore sometimes. After so many monotonous centuries of the same thing, you begin to long for new, fresher pursuits." He waved a gloved hand as if to say that thus was life.

"Well, I'm sorry majesty, but I'm afraid that I'm too old to play such games. Now, if you'd cease to keep invading my dreams, I would be eternally grateful. I'm exhausted of waking up every morning wholly confused, frightened out of my wits, or just plain old tired." Sarah flicked a strand of hair dismissively over her shoulder and turned with the pretense of leaving, though she stopped when she realized that she did not know where or how to do so.

Sarah could've sworn she heard Jareth snort before he moved to circle her lazily, cape floating softly behind him in the breeze.

"No, my dear, last time you were too young. I daresay you're just the right age now…"

He flashed his predatory smile at her once more as he moved, as at ease as if he was used to frequently popped into young girls' dreams and annoying the ever-living hell out of them.

Sarah's cheeks flushed.

"Stop that!" she snapped, moving out of the Goblin King's way to glower ominously at him.

Jareth stopped and turned to face Sarah, an odd pensive look passing over his face. He was quiet for a moment as if he were steeling himself to say something before he spoke quietly, almost hesitatingly.

"Do you remember out last confrontation, Sarah? Before you spoke your words and the world fell down? You were so young and determined to get your brother back." He looked down at Sarah, his eyes hard and set in intense attentiveness.

"Yes, I remember it now, though I had previously forgotten such things had ever happened or even existed. What of it?"

Jareth gazed out over his domain, surveying his Labyrinth, but seeming as if he did not quite see it.

"Do you remember what I asked of you Sarah? Do you remember that terrible and wonderful secret…what no one knew?"

Sarah's brow furrowed, sifting through her recently returned, albeit foggy memories.

_Their last confrontation…_

Sarah looked at Jareth, who did not return her gaze, still looking out over his Labyrinth.

_But what no one knew…_

Sarah uttered a tiny gasp as the memory clinked into place, her hand flying to her mouth, her cheeks flushing once more.

Jareth turned his head slowly to look at her, his mask of calm haughtiness slipping momentarily to allow an air of vulnerability to touch his features.

"I wish you had believed me."

_But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl…_

Sarah took a sharp step backward as the implication of Jareth's words washed over her. She struggled to keep her outward appearance as unaffected and blasé as she could manage, but the Goblin King had not missed her gasp and her sudden retreat. His eyes snapped to hers, a slow grin creeping over his features until he was nearly glowing with the satisfaction that his meaning had been made clear to her.

"Sarah," said Jareth, his tone low and ardent, taking a small step towards the girl, slightly extending a gloved hand, "I understand why you refused me last time. An ultimatum to choose between your dreams and your family…it was foolish of me to think that you could possibly accept. You had already cast me in the role of the villain - an idea, I am shamed to say, I did naught to dispel - and you were so stubborn. I would not be wrong in saying that you did not give my offer a second's consideration, that the only thing that consumed your mind at that moment was the thought of winning your brother back. It took me a great deal of time to come to this understanding, and a great deal more for me to accept that this was the course of things. I always, however, _hoped_…"

Sarah shivered at the intensity of the Goblin King's gaze, taking another unconscious step back, shrinking away from the creature that both so terrified and fascinated her.

There was a significant pause, as the fates themselves seemed to hold their breaths.

"Do you believe me now?" asked the Goblin King, slightly humbled and exceedingly hopeful.

It took Sarah a few moments before she remembered that she was indeed able to speak.

"I-I think…" said Sarah slowly, carefully picking her words, all too aware of the tense and delicate situation that lay before her, "I think that you need to stop playing games with me, Goblin King. I believe that you are just a sore loser and that you are seeking revenge on me for turning your kingdom upside down and defeating you at your own game. I think that you are holding a grudge and that you are too stubborn and too proud to get over the past. What's done is done." Sarah fought to keep her tone level and even, struggling to suppress the growing fury within her.

"That is what you think, is it?" Asked the Goblin King, frost marring the forced calm of his tone.

"Yes," replied Sarah, staring down her old adversary with as much if not more ferocity.

"And…pray, tell me," ground out Jareth testily, taking a step towards Sarah, "What have I done to give you the impression thus?"

Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief, her repressed anger reaching the boiling point, spilling over so that _no one_ would be in any doubt whatsoever that she was irrevocably and irrationally livid.

"What have you…what have _you…_ugh! Well, _oh mighty Goblin King_, let me enlighten you on exactly what it is _you did_, as apparently, in addition to growing senile with old age, it seems that you are also utterly deluded!"

Sarah closed the remaining gap between her and her Goblin King, her fists clenched and her face flushed with anger, her chin tilted slightly upward so that she could glare into the Goblin King's equally irate face.

"Let me see," Sarah began to tick off the grievances against her on her fingers, her callous flippancy insulting the Goblin King immensely. "First off, you _stole_ my brother."

She raised a hand, sharply cutting off the Goblin King's heated protest.

"Deny as you may, Goblin King, you kidnapped him, magic words be damned. You also took hours away from me in the tunnels beneath the Labyrinth, set the cleaners on me and Hoggle, bullied Hoggle into giving me a drugged peach to make me forget all about saving Toby, set Humongous on me and my friends, unleashed the goblin army on us, and then when all was said and done, you insulted me by offering me my dreams in exchange for my baby brother. Who could have been so selfish to accept? You, Goblin King, have been nothing short of a nuisance since you strode oh-so-arrogantly into my life!"

"I could say the same for you, dearest," said the Goblin King in a falsely sweet voice, tense anger coated in sticky-sweet tones.

Sarah growled at him, her already frayed patience growing thinner still.

"Yes," Sarah snarled, "You could argue that point. The fact still remains that _I won."_

"Only because I let you, of course," replied the Goblin King, smirking at Sarah in a way that was utterly infuriating.

"No, because you fancied yourself undefeatable and indefatigable, your Labyrinth unconquerable. It is not my fault that your pride and stupidity and blinded you to the possibility that I could make your kingdom come crashing down around your ears. I beat you easily, Goblin King. Get over it."

A number of emotions passed over the Goblin King's face as he digested Sarah's words.

He settled on murderous.

"Is that so," he murmured icily, drawing up to his full and quite substantial height.

"Yes!" replied Sarah venomously, flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder in disgust. "I wish I had never read that stupid book in the first place. If I hadn't, I would have never had to run your infernal Labyrinth, and would have never had the misfortune of meeting you!"

"You would me deeply, precious" the Goblin King replied, radiating a cold fury.

"Oh, I'm sure," said Sarah sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Oh! And you know what else I wish? I wish that I could forget all about all this nonsense again! That would be fantastic!"

Jareth glared at her for a few moments before a taunting grin slid over his features.

"Well, my dear, do you know what it is that _I wish?"_

"What?" spat Sarah acidly, her anger unfortunately clouding her better judgment, which was at that moment screaming at her to shut up, warning her that this was an incredibly stupid thing to ask, especially when wishing and the Goblin King were involved. This warning, however, fell upon deaf ears, as fury was now the master of Sarah's emotions.

"I wish that the goblins would come and take you away," he paused, perversely enjoying the sight of the anger draining rapidly from Sarah's face, only to be replaced with fear and incredulity. He grinned wolfishly at her. "Right now."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: BWAHAHA.**

**Sorry for the long absence! I've been enjoying a lovely holiday, and now I'm preparing for my semester abroad! Speaking of studying abroad, I'm afraid that this will most likely be the last update until May, as I'll be in Italy for the next couple months eating lots of yummy spaghetti!**

**For those who enjoy it: Phantom of the Opera (ALW version) refrences.**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


	8. Chapter 7: But A Dream Within A Dream

**Chapter Seven**

_But A Dream Within A Dream_

"_You are not wrong, who deem_

_That my days have been a dream;_

_Yet if hope has flown away_

_In a night, or in a day,_

_In a vision, or in none,_

_Is it therefore less than gone?_

_All that we see or seem _

_Is but a dream within a dream."_

_-Excerpt from a poem by Edgar Allen Poe_

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The first thing that Sarah was aware of when she awoke was of the agonizing headache that felt as though she had been hit over the head with a sack of bricks the size of Ludo.

Sarah groaned and rubbed her temples, trying in vain to alleviate some of the pain that wracked her throbbing head. She sat up groggily with a little difficulty and cracked her eyes open a slit. She hastily closed them as the golden light that permeated her room assaulted her senses, making her head throb once more with pain. She opened her eyes again, slowly letting them adjust to the bright morning light that streamed in through the high windows.

Sarah blinked uncomprehendingly a few times, bemused by her unfamiliar surroundings.

She was sitting on a bed furnished with lots of pillows and soft blankets in a room with walls made of a strange yellowish-looking stone, which echoed the golden sky, clearly visible through the tall windows lining the room.

Sarah's heart plummeted and her eyes snapped wide open, searching the room wildly as she realized where she was. She clambered hastily off of the bed and dashed over to one of the windows. Her suspicions were confirmed as she looked with dread upon the Goblin City that lay just on the other side of a wall of yellowed stone, and the Labyrinth that twisted and undulated beyond, disappearing into the misty distance.

Sarah closed her eyes, rubbing them hard for a moment, muttering to herself.

"It's just a dream, a terrible, unwelcome dream!"

Sarah peeked out of one eye hopefully, only to see that her view had stubbornly stayed as it was, much to her dismay.

"No," she whispered, passing a hand absent-mindedly over her brow in a half-hearted attempt to soothe her aching head, "It's not possible…how did I get h-…"

She trailed off as she remembered her last conversation, and with _whom_ it had been with and about _what_ it had been about.

_Well, my dear, do you know what it is that _I _wish?_

Sarah swore acidly under her breath, unwelcome memories rushing back to greet her.

_I wish that the goblins would come an take you away…right now._

Sarah brought her fist down upon on the stone windowsill.

Rage, fear, and disbelief coursed through Sarah's being, robbing her of her senses and blinding her to her better judgment.

"Damn you, Jareth…" she hissed through clenched teeth, nursing her bruised hand.

She spun quickly on her heel and stalked from the room, throwing the door to the hallway open with a bang that echoed loudly down the stone corridor.

Sarah had absolutely no idea where she was going and she didn't care. She turned this way and that up and down corridors, ascending and descending stairs as she pleased, know that _eventually_ she would have to end up at her desired destination.

Descending a flight of wide stairs sometime later, Sarah finally saw before her a set of heavy wooden doors, carved with gothically grotesque faces and inlaid with bright copper.

A taught, tense grin stretched over Sarah's face as she saw the carvings, and hoping that her hunch was right, strode up to the doors and pushed hard, willing them to creak open.

Sarah strode angrily forward, looking around her to take in her surroundings—yes, she'd found it, the throne room, looking just as it had been all those years ago when she'd saved Toby from _him_.

She spared a cursory glance at the vacant throne before scanning the room once more.

Empty.

"Damn" said Sarah aloud to the room, screwing up her courage before her fury-fueled bravado left her.

"GOBLIN KING!" she bellowed, startling a black chicken from it's hiding place behind an ale barrel, who clucked angrily in protest before fleeing impetously out the window.

"GOBLIN KING. GET IN HERE! WE HAVE A SCORE TO SETTLE, YOU AND I!"

"And what would that be, precious?" asked a coolly calm voice from behind her.

Sarah squawked, not unlike the chicken she'd startled not a minute before, and whirled around to behold the smugly arrogant Goblin King, who lounged lazily on the throne that had been vacant only moments ago.

Muttering a low, harried curse, Sarah gathered her scattered nerves around her, hastily fortifying her mental barriers, and trying not to look as though she'd meant to stagger back a few pages on purpose, and that she'd meant to almost fall into the nest of pillows that were arranged haphazardly in the depression that situated itself in the center of the room. She'd certainly not almost done any of this because the Goblin King had given her a fright. Definitely not.

Willing to steady her wildly thumping heart and frazzled nerves, Sarah stiffened her spine and raised her head to look down her nose at Jareth, which was quite a feat as he was lounging above her on the dais that held his throne.

"Sarah" purred Jareth by way of greeting, nodding his head regally.

"Goblin King" growled Sarah in return, raising her nose higher, now in full ice queen mode.

"So thoughtful of you to visit my humble abode," said Jareth in a gesture that was most likely supposed to resemble all the courtesy of a gracious host, but instead came off as kingly egoism with an undercurrent of gleeful triumph.

He stood up then, dwarfing Sarah even more so from his position on the dais. He smirked down at Sarah, who returned his glance with a furious glare.

Sarah almost let fear overcome her at the moment but quickly reined it in and replaced her mask of cold fury before swiftly ascending the few steps, closing the distance between her and the Goblin King.

"Send me home" Sarah bit out, not letting her furious gaze stray from his.

"You are home, Sarah," replied Jareth, calmly returning her glare.

"Don't play coy, Goblin King," said Sarah testily, edging a shade closer to Jareth, as if trying in vain to intimidate him. "Send me home. Now."

Jareth looked down appraisingly at Sarah for a moment, choosing his next words carefully.

"Oh, Sarah," said Jareth archly, smiling a wicked smile at her, "I am _never_ playing, not when you are concerned."

"You are a completely unmitigated ass, Goblin King. You know that, right?" replied Sarah, her sweet tone barely masking the venom beneath.

"I am flattered that you think so highly of me my dear" said the Goblin King with all the airs of mocking graciousness. "Truly, your sincerity and flair with words is so refreshing. It is a step up from the conversations that the goblins keep insisting on inflicting upon me. A small step, mind you..."

Jareth grinned rougishly at Sarah, as if hoping to get a rise out of her, and finished with:

"…but a step, none the less."

Sarah heaved an exhasperated sigh that betrayed her weakening will to deal with smug Fae kings-turned kidnappers.

"Are you done yet?" asked Sarah in a weary tone, still laced with annoyance.

"Not even close," replied Jareth easily, sitting gracefully back upon his throne.

He slid over slightly so that there was a small space next to him on the seat, and he patted it, saying:

"Have a seat, Sarah."

Sarah snorted, throwing Jareth a contemptuous look, raising an eyebrow disdainfully as Jareth kept patting the seat next to him, a look of puppy-dog innocence plastered liberally on his face.

"I'd rather stand" said Sarah regally, with all the dignified airs of a queen.

"Our talk is going to be a long one, I have a feeling, and I think you would get tired of standing for so long. Come. Sit by me."

"I'll stand, thank you" Sarah ground out, struggling to maintain her composure.

Jareth rolled his eyes and sighed in a most un-kingly-like manner.

"Still the drama queen, are we, my dear?"

He waved his hand suddenly and a wooden chair dropped out of thin air just behind Sarah and knocked her bodily on the back of the knees, causing her to fall into the chair with a flustered thump. Sarah's eyes snapped to Jareth, fury blazing just beneath their green depths. She gathered her bruised pride around her like a mantle and sat up straight in her chair as if she'd completely meant to sit on it in the manner that she had. She gazed imperiously at Jareth, as if commanding him to speak with her look.

However, Jareth contented himself to stare placidly back at Sarah, stolidly refusing to give in to her bullying, a slight sly smirk on his face the whole while.

This deliberate action on Jareth's part only served to incense Sarah further. After all she'd been through, how dare that smug arrogant bastard _defy her?_

Sarah broke her own silence, speaking first.

"Send me home, Goblin King" Sarah said once again, sound a bit to herself like a broken record.

"I am afraid that I cannot do that," replied the Goblin King in a sticky-sweet tone that made it all too clear that he was not sorry at all about this fact.

"Why the hell not?" asked Sarah acidly, almost spitting in her vehemence.

"Don't you remember?" asked Jareth almost gleefully, supercilious delight flooding his tone. "You were wished away! Wished away by me, _to me._ You are mine!"

Jareth practically crowed these words with delight and long-awaited triumph. Sarah scowled at him, unimpressed.

"You did _what?_" Sarah asked, frost liberally icing each of her words.

"Oh my dear Sarah, you did not really think that you could defeat me, _defy me ,_ once so long ago and that you could be rid of me forever, did you? If you did," he paused, shrugging unconcernedly, "well then, think again. No magic words to free you this time, no screaming babes to rescue, no motley crew of miscreant friends to show you the way through my Labyrinth…"

"So I get to run the Labyrinth to win my freedom?" interrupted Sarah desperately, her eyes snapping to Jareth's as if she was trying to read the truth from within their fae depths.

"No" said Jareth flatly, his roguish cheer quashed momentarily by the question. However, he soon recovered. "I was the one who did the wishing, remember? I choose your fate either way."

"I suppose I couldn't persuade you to run the Labyrinth instead of choosing your dreams or whatever the other option may be, and let me go home, could I?" asked Sarah cautiously, feeling that she already knew the eventual answer to her question, and that she wouldn't like it at all.

"I do not know," purred Jareth silkily, leaning forward on his throne, "Can you? Do try. Persuade me, Sarah."

Sarah eyed the Goblin King warily, desperately wishing that she'd held her tongue and not provoked Jareth into treading gleefully into the dangerous waters she suddenly found herself drowning in. She shrunk back slightly in her chair, away from Jareth's predatory leer.

"I'd rather not." Sarah replied airily, hurriedly attempting to backtrack once more.

"Such a pity," sighed Jareth, settling comfortably back into his throne, casting his legs unconcernedly over the arms of his seat.

Sarah let out a near-silent breath of shaky relief that was very nearly cut short by a sharp look sent her way by none other than the Goblin King.

"Well then," observed Jareth in a solemn tone, pensively flicking a smudge of non-existent dirt off of his immaculate jacket sleeve, "I suppose that means that I shall turn down my own offer to run my Labyrinth to win your freedom."

Sarah's heart sank straight to her toes. She could almost hear the sound of her prison doors clanging shut, the lock clunking into position with a dreadful finality.

Jareth smiled at Sarah, an action that she had come to fear and loathe beyond all reason as of late.

"Sarah Williams, once Champion of the Labyrinth, welcome to the Underground, to my castle beyond the Goblin City. Your new home for the rest of forever."

"…forever?" echoed Sarah dully, anger, terror, and persistent disbelief flooding her head and heart.

Jareth stood fluidly and took the few steps to stand before Sarah, offering a gloved hand as if to help her up.

"Not long at all," he murmured, "and all that."

Sarah stared at Jareth for all of two seconds, a multitude of emotions flashing across her face, before it settled on incredulous animosity. She stood abruptly, fiercely knocking Jareth's proffered hand as she hastened out of the room, forcing the great wooden doors to the throne room shut behind her. Sarah collapsed back on the doors once they were closed, allowing the hot, angry tears she'd been suppressing to well up in her eyes. She bit her lip to smother her soft sobs, bringing her fist down on the door with a muted thud.

"Damn you, Jareth" Sarah breathed as she got up off of the door, making her way blindly down the corridor, not caring which way she went, nor of her destination.

Up and down she climbed, twisting left and right, just wanting to get _away. _

When Sarah was good and properly lost, she dropped down dejectedly onto a stone bench ensconced beneath a grimy window that looked high over the castle grounds, the Goblin City a dirty smudge on the horizon. Sarah shook her head dejectedly. This place was playing tricks with her sense of perception, even after so short a time. Another thing the Goblin King had conjured up to torment her, no doubt. It just wasn't fa—no. Life wasn't fair, why should the Underground be any different?

Sarah didn't know for how long she sat there, staring out the window without really seeing, trying to make sense of the tangled thoughts that raced around in the confines of her mind.

She was so preoccupied with her own musings that she did not notice the tall, silent figure slip out of the shadows until it was too late.

The Goblin King looked upon the Champion of his Labyrinth with a look that could have possibly been described as pity had it not been masked almost immediately by a look of indifferent nonchalance.

Sarah looked at the approaching figure, scowled, and then returned to looking out the window, intensely trying to ignore the crux of all her woes as he drew nearer.

"Go away" said Sarah, her voice low and devoid of inflection.

Jareth sighed.

"Are you done sulking?"

Sarah continued to stolidly ignore Jareth, unwilling to admit defeat by acknowledging that he was, in fact, a real being, and that yes, she was in the Underground, and unfortunately, it didn't look like any of these facts were going to change in any time soon. Her will may be as strong as his, but at that moment, Sarah felt as though all the fight had gone out of her. She was tired, she'd gone through several shocks in the past few hours, and she was tired of dealing with the unfathomable Goblin King.

Jareth looked at her, scrutinizing, before speaking again.

"Follow me."

And so Sarah, feeling completely helpless and defeated, rose shakily from the seat and followed her greatest foe, feeling quite as though she had fallen into a hideous nightmare.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

**AN: Ciao! I'm finally back! Sorry for not getting this chapter up in May. I got a bad case of writers block, and real life got in the way! As well as series 6 of Doctor Who. And Takarazuka. Well, better late than never, eh? I'm hoping to get the next chapter up perhaps at the end of the month or the beginning of the next. I had a wonderful semester in Italy, and even though it was incredibly fun, I'm glad to be back!**

**Anyways, please read and review! It really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the novelization belong to A.C.H. Smith. **


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